Begin at the Beginning

A few things have been going on this very busy December.

Last night, I found a book called A Patient’s Guide to PCOS and I’ve been reading it most of the day.  It’s a very interesting look at this syndrome that has plagued my life for so many years, and even more interesting– a look at how to control it!  The book provides detailed diets and caloric intake goals, as well as ideas as to how to effectively introduce exercise into your life.

As I scanned the book last night at Barnes & Noble, I was shocked by a chapter that discusses the psychological and emotional impact of the syndrome.  I honestly have just thought myself lazy and… well, bad.  While I fully recognize that there are spiritual implications to my situation and lack of will-power, it was nice to find that there is hope.  Is it weird that I didn’t really realize that before?  I’m not typically a “hopeless” person, but I guess I’ve been pretending that I was fine and had it all together.  It’s ok that I don’t.  More on that on my personal blog.

I was talking about this with my friend Angel this afternoon at lunch, and come to find out, she’s a certified personal trainer AND a marathon runner.  She offered to help me out with my endeavor– yay for me!  I’m really looking forward to getting to a place where I can begin working towards running a half marathon, rather than just working towards staying alive!

I’ve been trying to stay active, although it has proven difficult as school hasn’t begun yet and I don’t have access to the Rec.  That will change in about a week, though.  I’m looking forward to getting started on a nice work out plan, and let’s just be honest.  I’m looking forward to a time when this change in lifestyle doesn’t seem so hopeless.

Phit-N-Phat

My friend Jessica turned me on to this INCREDIBLE blog, and I thought I’d pass it on to you.

http://phit-n-phat.com/blogs/

Day 1: First Workout

Owie.

Katie and I took advantage of a 5-day free pass to her super-posh Spectrum club tonight.  I did cardio for a straight 45 minutes (and 1.9 miles!), and seriously thought I was going to die afterward.  I tried doing some light weights.  I did a few quad exercises before I determined that I should probably stretch and try and relax so as to not put myself out of commission for Day 2.  Then, we went and sat in this glorious eucalyptus wet sauna… I think, if only for a moment, I was in heaven.  Then, we hung out and laughed in the hot tub.  We spent a little time in the Olympic pool, but I was eager to get back into the soothing warmth of that hot tub! 

Proud of our accomplishment, we found ourselves first at Subway to enjoy a scrumptuous meal, and then at the new “Super HEB”.  Folks, this is consumerism at it’s worst (and most awe-inspiring).  Temptation greeted me at every turn.  Yum!  We walked around the HEB for a good hour and a half before I finally felt like I was going to crumble in the aisle. 

Home, Jeeves.

Good day, indeed.  We’ll see how I feel in the morning!

Day 1: New Food Habits

Last night, I took a trip to my local Whole Foods.  I feel like I was pretty well disciplined, since I REALLY wanted to buy some pastries (they were SO CUTE and looked incredibly delicious)!

On Katie’s suggestion, I bought some cottage cheese singles for breakfasts.  I also bought a ton of fruit (pears, granny smith apples, blood oranges), and some fresh, local spinach, carrots, and potatoes.  Who knew they grew potatoes in south Texas?  I picked up some Amy’s Organic soup (Black bean, Tomato, Gumbo, Southwestern Vegetable), some whole wheat bread, chicken breast, a brisket for my Christmas party on Sunday, and of course, some TLC Crackers.  I also was really excited to grab some of those steamed veggie boxes that I’ve seen advertised on TV lately.  I got brussels sprouts and asparagus.  I’ll report back as to how they work and taste.

Christmas is quickly approaching.  I’m depending on my family to help me not mess up.  I should be pretty ok, as long as I avoid the Christmas desserts, which isn’t incredibly difficult for me anyway.  I’d MUCH rather have that extra helping of stuffing!

How do you get through the holidays?

Begin Again (Poor old Michael Finnigan)

You’ve heard it all before….  Last year, in fact…  But I have a renewed interest and fresh perspective on things.  So here’s to starting over and trying one more time…  This blog will be the site of much honesty and probably a ton of complaining over the next 13 months. Some of what I share may be shocking or distasteful to you. I wouldn’t blame you for not reading at all.

All of that being said, today, I am approximately 200 pounds overweight. I will have to lose an incredible amount of that weight in order to participate in the Austin Half Marathon 2009, which is 13 miles through downtown Austin, TX.
In order to do so, I will be embarking on a training schedule and nutritional plan that is shockingly different than my current habits. I will be required to put out more energy and effort towards self-discipline than I ever have before. My tennis shoes will be my best friends. I will be building on the nutritional plan that Dr. Robin put together for me last year (yeah… last year…), consisting of organic foods, no sugar, and an incredible amount of water. My life will be entirely different.

I am hoping that by working toward this goal, I will acheive a more healthy lifestyle– not only by running and eating right, but by dropping my lazy habits all together. I will be required to rely only on the grace and strength of God, as I must admit that I have no strength of my own– even physically, at this point. I am starting from ground zero… maybe even below that.

Local Organic Produce

Yesterday morning, my friend Christine told me all about this new Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group that she, her husband, and two other friends joined recently.  The jist is this: $50 every two weeks gets you between 25-35 pounds of locally grown organic fruits and veggies.  Now, for me, that would be way too much, so I’m hoping to find someone to split it with me, as Christine is doing.  Just thought I’d let y’all know about this awesome outlet!

http://www.yourhealthsource.org/

Coffee for a Cause

While I’m embarking on this new endeavor, I thought it necessary to tell you about a few organizations that are near and dear to my heart.  You may be curious as to what they have to do with running a marathon, and I’ll tell you.  They inspire me.  The push me toward God in ways that those I interact with on a daily basis may not be able to.

 Mocha Club    The cost of two mochas is $7 in your typical US city.   In Kibera, Kenya, $7  provides three meals a day for a month to 9 orphans.  In  Bulawayo, Zimbabwe,  $7 pays for 1 school term for two children.  In all of Africa, $7 provides clean, disease-free water for 7 Africans for 1 year.   An offshoot of African Leadership, Mocha Club asks that you give $7 a month– just two mochas– to help feed, educate, and care for the citizens of Africa.

Growers First   When Dave Day, the owner of Specialty Coffee Services traveled to Oaxaca Mexico in 2000, searching for good coffee, he found was farmers barely existing in deplorable conditions and extreme poverty. Due to the 100 year low in coffee prices farmers were receiving less than competitive prices for their crops. The farmers were being taken advantage of by unscrupulous individuals in their own country whose main objective was to gain financial prosperity at the expense of the farmers and their families.  Lack of fair crop wages, inadequate food supplies, and virtually non existent healthcare and educational opportunities lead farmers to leave their families behind in search of a better means to provide.  Growers First exists to educate these farmers and to assist them in earning a fair wage for their work and product.

Ugly Mug Coffee   In 1998, the place to be in Memphis was Ugly Mug Coffee Studio. Originally a gathering place for college students, the local shop soon became a hot spot for Memphians of all ages. Though in the beginning the shop was more about the place than the coffee, they soon realized that the coffee market had a lot of room for improvement. Deciding to do something fresh for an industry that was getting a little stale– Something like offering customers the finest, freshest coffee in the world while at the same time making a significant contribution to the growers and their community, was just the first step.  Ugly Mug now works with mission organizations, churches, schools, and many individuals to spread the love of coffee at a fair wage and where their profits can be used for a good cause.

Please take a look at these organizations, and see if you can find a place to help one or all of them.

Local Harvest

I ran across this incredible website today.  Local Harvest is a great place to find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.  They believe (and I agree) that the best foods are those that are grown in your area.

For instance, I found my favorite cheese– Gouda– from a local fromagerie for less than it can be bought anywhere in town, including Walmart!  I also found a beef producer who sells grass-fed and drug free beef from far west Texas at great prices- cheaper than Whole Foods, but probably more than you’d pay for your everyday grocery store hamburger meat.  You can bet that while local grocers are selling cloned meat, I’ll be enjoying the real stuff… and by real, I mean not conceived in a test tube.  Ick.

So check it out, and let me know about your finds!

Yummy Cold Weather Food

I made a pretty dang good roast with potatoes and carrots and onions and an awesome spinach salad this weekend.  Take a look at the yummy ingredients!

And my mom was shocked (and a little tickled) when I told her that I bought four pounds of fresh pinto beans this weekend.  Growing up, we had one dish that we could “opt-out” of at dinner.  That night, we could make a sandwich and not eat what was served.  The nights we had beans were my opt-out night.  These days, I really like them, as long as they have some ketchup on them!  I divided them into bags of two cups each, so that I can stretch them out.  I’m hoping the two cups will take care of a couple of dinners and/or lunches.

P.S.  I got 3-packs of organic tomatoes (about half the size of my fist, so about normal) at Whole Foods for $1.  Just a heads up!

The Cost of Going ‘Organic’

While searching for some great recipes for snacky foods, I came across this great website, chock-full of information about living an organic life. I just wanted to share the info with you!

Organic on a Budget

Budgeting for Organic: One Woman’s Findings

Seasonal Shopping Guide